What earns Legacy points and what they buy

The Legacy system opens with your first point, usually at level 25 on a first character. Each of the 65 challenges earns a point for all your non-Hardcore characters. Classes give 27 (levels 25, 45 and 60 on each), the primary crafting professions 18 (skill 150, 225 and 300) and PvP 12, including ranks 3, 7, 10, 13 and 14. Dungeons give three, raids three (Onyxia, Hyjal Summit, the Barrow Deeps) and Adventure two.

Each character spends the points separately on its own perks, up to 16 at launch, from 21 in three trees: Professions, Adventure and Resourcefulness. Talented unlocks talent points up to five levels early. Performance Bonus sometimes raises Merchant’s Favor with the Azeroth Commerce Authority and Durotar Supply and Logistics, new Alliance and Horde factions central to new tradeskill work.

Your account total also unlocks four launch rewards, among them a Spectral Bear mount. Hardcore, due after launch, works one way: challenges from other rulesets won’t carry into it, but those earned there unlock everywhere else. Hardcore can’t do PvP challenges, so it gets 12 of its own.

Why it matters: one character can earn up to 29 points, so the 16-point cap needs no alts.